Folks associated with the dance community here in Juneau are perhaps familiar with the Weber Dance Company from Boston, they've been coming here for five years to teach dance; this year's visit is an expansion on their efforts, as a collaboration with a writer and storyteller has led to a much broader artistic endeavor.

Jody Weber, an Associate Professor of Dance at Bridgewater State University and the Artistic Director at Weber Dance Company, told us about the collaborative effort. "We have sort of two components with what's going on here in Juneau. We have a residency that we've been doing with Juneau dance unlimited, which is just a fantastic organization for children, teens and adults, anyone who's really interested in studying dance. And then at the end of our residency some of the work that we've set on the teens is shared in a performance and my professional company from Boston also comes to share an evening of work. And this particular year, we're doing a piece called Synchronicity and the Sacred Space, and that's a project in collaboration with Jon Turk who's an adventurer, explorer, storyteller and writer"

Jon Turk explains, "We got together because I wrote a book called The Raven's Gift about five years I spent in Siberia with the Koryak people and my relationship with this old Shaman who had been born during the reign of Czar Nicholas the second. And what we've done is combine my art, storytelling, with their art, dance; modern dance, and bring it together in a story of the power of indigenous wisdoms, the implication and the value of these old wisdoms in modern society."

According to Jody Weber "The piece has seven sections of dance and seven sections of storytelling so we're really excited to share it here in Juneau."

The performance is tonight at 7 at Thunder Mountain High and promises to be a wonderful collaboration of storytelling and dance, featuring a talented meld of local teens from Juneau Dance Unlimited, professional dancers and teachers from Weber Dance Company, and a gifted writer and storyteller.